


Attendre et Espérer

by glass_damask



Category: Fate/Grand Order
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-04 15:28:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18346463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glass_damask/pseuds/glass_damask
Summary: "The most famous revenger in the world" deals with emotions he thought were forever sealed away.





	Attendre et Espérer

The night was cold, the pathways empty. A lanky figure walked noiselessly down the halls of Chaldea in the direction of whatever had just woken him.

  The Avenger always was a light sleeper, even waking at the slightest of sounds far away from the security of his room. This was just one of those occasions, the only difference being that the noise was now a light rustling from the kitchen.

  Moonlight streamed into the hall through the windows to the Servant's right, highlighting him in a soft glow.

  He kept his sleeved arms firmly at his sides as he turned another corner, greatful to have shed his cloak on his way out of his room—he wanted to be as silent as possible as he lurked toward the noise's source.

  One more corner and he was at his destination.

  A small, yellow light poured out onto the tiled floor. The light was coming from the opened fridge, and a young woman was huddled in front of it. It took barely a second to realize that the perpetrator was his Master.

  He was silent for a beat, then chuckled.

  Like a deer in headlights, Ritsuka froze, but quickly wheeled back on her heels to face who caught her.

  "Avenger," she struggled to say, a spoon dangling from her mouth; her other hand was clasping a cup of yogurt. As Avenger's chuckling grew in volume she thought to add in a hushed voice, "Don't tell Mash."

  "And why would I?" he asked between what were now laughs.

  His mirth, no matter how genuine, never failed to unnerve her. She awkwardly shuffled in place as Dantès calmed down.

  "So was dinner not enough for you?"

  It caught Ritsuka off guard.

  "Well, yeah, a little bit," she admitted as she twirled the spoon around in her hand. "But I just felt bad, since they had already made so mu—"

  She was interrupted by a wave of the Heroic Spirit's hand. She tensed up at the gesture and rushed to correct it.

  "I don't care about that—what I do care about is whether or not you'll share your spoils."

  Ritsuka, with a confusing mix of relief and anxiety, suddenly giggled (though it was more out of nervousness than anything). "Of course!" she said, moving aside to let the Servant pore over the fridge's contents.

  After a moment of silence, Dantès took a step back, a party sandwich in his hand.

  During her wait Ritsuka took a seat at the kitchen island and picked up where she left off with her midnight snack. Dantès soon walked over and proceeded to lean his back against the island; taking small nibbles of his meal. Once again the young woman tensed up at the close proximity, but tried to correct it before he could tell.

  Unsurprisingly, he caught on to her reactions.

  "I've given you my trust, and yet you still fear me?" Avenger put the question mildly—that, too, unnerved her to no end.

  "W-well," she managed to stammer out, "you're just always so—"

  "What? Aggressive? Cruel? Antisocial? Terrifying? _Evil!_ " Each word was puncuated by a flick of his wrist.

  A second of silence, then a quiet, "I was gonna say restless..."

  Avenger's expression momentarily turned wooden, but he quickly burst out laughing, nearly doubling over at her genuine concern.

  Since being summoned at Chaldea, the Count of Monte Cristo had become noticeably happier—or, at the very least, less obsessed with hatred, anger and vengeance. In any case, he still greatly intimidated his Master, however unintentionally.

  "Really now?" he asked, a bit disbelieving. Once calmed down, he devoured the rest of his sandwich.

  Ritsuka was silent. She knew he was going to go back to bed very soon; she decided to wait it out, instead of trying to explain herself.

  "Normally, I wouldn't care one bit about what others thought of me"—he started to put great emphasis on his following words—"however, you are my Master, and unnerving you may negatively affect your work efficiency..."

  Ritsuka made no reply; Dantès clucked his tongue and went on.

  "So, it's only right that I should take my leave now, no? I'm done eating, my presence continues to frighten you—what more should I want to do in staying?"

  Ritsuka felt a small tug at her lips at hearing his rhetorical question—he usually kept it checked, but his habit of rambling liked to show itself every now and again. Suddenly, and with a trace of a smile on her lips, she looked the Avenger in the eye, no longer insecure. He, too, gained a trace of a smile at her lack of discomfort.

  His decision to leave was unchanged, however.

  "Goodnight, Master."

  "Goodnight, Avenger."


End file.
